Ag Committee passes Farm Bill, lacks mandatory energy title funds

By a bipartisan vote of 35-11, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture has passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act.

Most energy title programs such as the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and the Rural Energy for America Program retained funding in FARRM, as they did in the Senate version. Significantly contrasting from the Senate bill, however, the House allotted only discretionary funding for the programs and no mandatory funding, an $800 million loss in guaranteed federal support.

An amendment to reinstate it, by Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, was rejected.

Speaking on behalf of the National Farms Union, President Roger Johnson, said energy programs are a critical part of rural development, so the union is disappointed the energy title received no mandatory funding. “Discretionary funds are awarded each year by appropriation and do not provide the secure multi-year funding necessary to promote renewable energy investment,” he said.

Also commenting on FARRM and its lack of mandatory energy title funding, Todd Atkinson, chief of staff for the USDA-FSA said, “At a time of tight budgets, should the status quo be preserved by keeping 100-year old tax breaks for profitable mature industries while blocking new energy innovation in rural America?”

As passed, FARRM slates $75 million for the Biorefinery Assistance Program, $50 million for the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, $75 million for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and $45 million for the Rural Energy for America Program, with minor changes to some program aspects, aside from axing mandatory funding. This includes the elimination of collection, harvest, transport and storage payments for BCAP, the elimination of feasibility studies for REAP and the elimination of grant payments for the Biorefinery Assistance Program.

Now, the Senate and the House will reconcile their different bill measures. The current Farm Bill expires Sept. 30, so if they are unable to reach a compromise before then, it’s likely a one-year extension will be passed.

1 Responses

I have to show various apcarieitpon to this journalist simply for rescuing me from this style of challenge. Because of exploring all through the world wide web along with getting basics that were not productive, I was thinking my life was done. Being alive without the approaches to the difficulties you’ve sorted out all through your main short post is a serious case, as well as ones that might have negatively affected my entire career if I hadn’t observed your web webpage. Your own competence and kindness in playing with all the things was significant. I’m not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t come across this kind of a point similar to this. I’m capable to now look ahead to my future. Thanks for your time so much for your professional in addition to sensible help. I will not be reluctant to advise your web blog to several individual who wants in addition to needs support concerning this topic.

Leave a Reply

Biomass Magazine encourages encourages civil conversation and debate. However, we reserve the right to delete comments for reasons including but not limited to: any type of attack, injurious statements, profanity, business solicitations or other advertising.